Knitting machine



Feb. 14, 1961 A. LANDRY 2,971,360

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1958 miafni ARMAN D LAN DRY BY KL.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent l 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-150) This invention relates to knitting machines and has particular reference to the control of heel pockets in a circular knitting machine in which wrapping is being effected.

In knitting machines in which wrapping occurs the wrapping operation is interrupted on needles which will knit the heel after the leg is substantially completed, i.e. a few courses before the beginning of knitting of the heel. The wrapping of instep needles is interrupted at the beginning of the heel and is then again resumed after the formation of the heel, being again interrupted at the beginning of the knitting of the toe. Wrapping is then again resumed on needles of both the heel and instep group in the knitting of the leg of the next stocking of a continuous series. Since the wrap yarns are unbroken during the knitting of a string of stockings they will, in general, provide a cage of yarns extending past the knitted pockets in the stocking, holding the pockets outwardly toward the needles with the result that the pockets are likely to become entangled, particularly when the use of the wrap yarns is again resumed. An axially operating central takeup arranged to engage heel pockets is customarily used, not only to get the heel away from the needles but to insure more uniform distribution of tension about the stocking upon resumption of circular knitting after the heel. But the use of a central pocket takeup is not positive in insuring the proper disposition and tensioning of the pocket inasmuch as it may miss the pocket entirely by reason of the cage of wrap yarns which hold the pocket out of its path.

In the patent of Albert L. Oberholtzer, No. 2,506,968, dated May 9, 1950, there is described a knitting machine in which the foregoing diiliculties are overcome, an air blast being directed inwardly following the formation of a heel pocket to urge the heel pocket inwardly. With the arrangement described in said patent it is necessary to relieve the wrap yarns of tension so that they may be readily driven inwardly with avoidance of interference with movement of the heel pocket, with the result that the latter may be engaged by a takeup member which drops as the heel is projected inwardly.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an arrangement which supplies a blast of air in novel fashion to a heel pocket to position it for engagement by the takeup. In accordance with the present invention, it is not necessary to provide the means for freeing the wrap yarns since the heel pocket is caused to balloon inwardly efi'ectively despite the wrap yarns, the

blast of air being directed against the heel pocket from a position at its exterior below the level of the needles and sinkers, i.e. between this level and that of the usual roller takeup.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention particularly relating to details of construction and operation will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which the figure shows a fragmentary vertical section through 2,971,360 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 the cylinders and associatedparts of a superposed cylin-' der machine to which the invention is applied.

The machine illustrated is essentially conventional and may be of the type disclosed in the patent of Paul W.- Bristow, No. 2,555,870, dated June 5, 1951. Reference may also be made to the patent to Maxwell. P. Dodds, No. 2,604,766, dated July 29, 1952, for illustration of certain details involved in the assembly of parts adjacent to the upper end of a lower needle cylinder.

The lower and upper rotary needle cylinders of a superposed cylinder knitting machine are indicated at 2 and 4, these being provided with inserted walls 6 and 8 which provide slots for the guidance of sliders 10 (in both cylinders) and needles l4. Sinkers 16 of arcuate type are provided in association with the lower cylinder. Wrap fingers 18 are mounted within the upper cylinder for projection and operation in conventional fashion. Abutment members 20 for the wrap fingers are carried by a dial 22. Mounted for vertical movements within this dial is a rod 24 which carries the heel pocket takeup 26 provided with outwardly projecting fingers 28. A sinker ring 30 serves to mount the sinkers 16 which are provided with butts acted upon by stationary cams held within a sinker cup 32. The usual roller takeup for string work is indicated at 33. All of the foregoing is conventional and details are not herein shown, since the construction and operation will be clear by reference to the several patents mentioned above.

The sinker cup 32 is threaded at 34 externally to a sleeve 36. A sinker sleeve 40 is provided with a flange 38 clamped by the arrangement just described. The sleeves 36 and 40 are stationary.

In accordance with the present invention, the sleeve 40 is provided with hole 42, plugged as indicated at 43, to provide an opening to receive air from a tube 44 which extends downwardly between the sleeves 36 and 40. The sinker cup 32 is provided with a bore 46 which extends upwardly having communication at 47 with the hole 42. At its upper end it communicates with the bore 48 in a plug 50 which bore is directed upwardly and inwardly as illustrated in the figure.

Air through the tube 44 is controlled in the fashion described in detail in said Oberholtzer patent, and is arranged to be blown continuously through about three revolutions of the needle cylinder as the heel pocket is passing the point of air exit at 48 while the starting takeup 26 is dropping to engage the heel pocket. The same operation desirably occurs as the toe pocket is passing the point of air exit.

As will be evident, the air emerging as a blast from the opening 48 is directed from the outside against the heel and toe pockets as these pockets pass the opening, the blast being directed against the pockets at positions below and exterior to these pockets and between the roller takeup 33 and the location of the needles and sinkers, so that they are caused to balloon inwardly beneath the takeup 26 as at 5. It is found that by this location and direction of the air blast the pockets are driven inwardly with sufficient force to displace the wrap yarns running past the pockets so that they do not interfere with the proper placement of the pockets in line with the takeup 26. The pockets are accordingly engaged by the fingers 28 to effect satisfactory takeup in the required fashion. The foregoing is in contrast with the action of an air blast in the Oberholtzer patent in which the air is introduced above the needles or at least above the position of the loops held thereon.

It should be understood that the invention is useful also in machines having a central pocket takeup but not equipped to carry yarns for producing patterns by wrapping needles, particularly in such machines having needle cylinders of relatively small. diameter.

It will be evident that various changes may be made in details of the inventionwithout departing from the scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A circular stocking knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder, instrumentalities associated with said needles for the formation of stitches, means for effecting wrapping of needles, first takeup means for imparting tension to completed fabric, axially movable second takeup means engageable with pockets formed in stockings, and means arranged to direct air against the exterior of the portion of fabric extending between the needles and the first takeup means to force completed pockets inwardly for engagemerit by said second takeup means.

2. A circular stocking knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder, 'instrumentalities associated with said needles for the formation of stitches, first takeup means for imparting tension to completed fabric, axially movable second takeil'p means en ageab e w h pockets ormed 1 QQK: ings, and means arranged to direct air against the exterior of the portion of fabric extending between the needles and the first takeup means to force completed pockets inwardly for engagement by said second takeup means.

3. A knitting machine according to claim 1 in which the needle cylinder is rotary and in which the last mentioned air directing means is provided by a passage located ill 1 Stationary member located within the needle cylinder.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 2 in which the needle cylinder is rotary and in which the last mentioned air directing means is provided by a passage located in a stationary member located within the needle cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Oberholtzer May 9, 1950 2,873,596 Larkin Feb. 17, 1959, 

